Alvin Clayton Pope Band totes 'A Jazz to Pop Party!' to Smyrna

Wednesday

Sep 26, 2012 at 10:27 AMSep 27, 2012 at 3:30 PM

Prince fans Alvin Pope and his bandmates will pay homage to the music legend during their album-release party: “A Jazz to Pop Party!”

Andre Lamar

Looking to carry some of the momentum from Prince's intoxicating performance at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, Nev. last weekend to Smyrna — Prince fans Alvin Pope and his bandmates will pay homage to the music legend during their album-release party: "A Jazz to Pop Party!"

The event will be held at the Smyrna Opera House on Oct. 6. Copies of the band's new album "Soul of the Man," which is available at AlvinClaytonPope.com, will be sold for $15.

In addition to tackling Prince's music, the Alvin Clayton Pope Band will also dish up zesty originals and covers from other music legends that span genres of jazz to pop — hence the concert's title.

The band's set list features covers of "James Taylor to Frank Sinatra to originals to Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Prince — you name it," said saxophonist and keyboardist Pope, 50, of Smyrna.

Grounded in jazz, but not only confined to that style of music, a few original tunes the Alvin Clayton Pope Band will perform off "Soul of the Man" is the funky, jazz-tinged instrumental "First in Goal," which offers an "addictive kind of groove" smothered in the skills of Clayton Pope Band trumpeter Brian Williams.

'At The End of The Day'

There's also the laidback instrumental "At The End of the Day." The song was spurred by former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's controversial speech during a press conference in 2006, following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Nagin dipped his toe in a bit of hot water when he decreed New Orleans would be rebuilt and the city "will be chocolate at the end of the day," or rebuilt as a black city.

After Nagin uttered those comments, Pope said he began hearing countless people in passing who were also reciting "at the end of the day," he said.

While Nagin's speech was heavily scrutinized, the song "At The End of the Day" is far from controversial, since it's coated in a groove that's "chill" and "relaxing," Pope said.

IF YOU GO WHAT Alvin Clayton Pope Band in concert WHERE Smyrna Opera House, 7 W. South St., Smyrna COST $15 INFO smyrnaoperahouse.org or 653-4236

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